


Ready As I'll Ever Be

by Danaeka



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Callum Needs a Hug (The Dragon Prince), Established Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince), F/M, King Ezran (The Dragon Prince), M/M, Rayla Needs a Hug (The Dragon Prince)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:14:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29018007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Danaeka/pseuds/Danaeka
Summary: She didnt matter as long as Callum breathed.She had been ready, ready as she ever was…So why…Why did this hurt so much?
Relationships: Aaravos & Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Callum & Ezran (The Dragon Prince), Callum & Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Ethari/Runaan (The Dragon Prince), Ezran & Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Rayla & Runaan (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 21





	Ready As I'll Ever Be

**Author's Note:**

> I heard this song and was like... Yep, need to write something.

_"Prince Callum of the kingdom of Katolis is found dead after leading the final battle to grant peace to both Xadia and the human kind."_

"Any moment now… Your highness…" Rayla said through gritted teeth. Looking back at King Ezran, Runaan and Ethari, all three of them chained down.

It had been a blood bath. Callum was at front, leading besides her, Aavaros was going full force with his own army, Claudia aiding him however she could, at the final moments she was taken down, not dead, but handed over to the Sunfire elves to be purified by their Queen, by Callum himself. He'd been severely wounded and all three, Ezran Runaan and Ethari had known, had had time to help him… Yet none of them did anything.

He passed away in their bed, at age 16…

Far, too, young

"I know I've sunk pretty low…" She started. "But whatever I've done you deserve…"

He died in agony, she was recovering for months, she knew nothing of his passing until she was finally able to get up and look for him… To find his body preserved inside a glass tomb. Her mate, her partner and best friend, as a fucking public attraction in their bedroom.

A few monarchs came by to see him, she threw them all out, cursed and broke things, slept on his dirty clothes, hugged his favorite pillow and refused to let any of the servants clean the room or take away the coffin.

His body was preserved well. The magic still flowing inside of him made it possible to evade decomposition. Rayla cried seeing him every day, he would wake up… He had to wake up.

"Rayla…" Ezran tried to call her once again.

"Quiet," She snapped hard. Turning her head to face them. Eyes with a black sclera, silver outline and black iris, the surrounding skin was starting to tinge a darker/paler purple with small parts turning outright silver, mimicking stars.

"You're turning in-" it was Ethari this time.

"Into the bad guy, that's _fine_ ," though her voice was shaky, her hands moved up steady to grasp Callum's scarf in her hands, tangling her fingers through the soft, silky fabric. "It's no fault of mine, and some justice at last will be served…"

"Rayla, please listen to us!" Runaan's turn huh?

"It's time I step up, I've already made my choice. I'm ready, ready as I'll ever be." She moved to uncover the mirror behind her.

Chains crackled begin her and she knew, she just knew Runaan had tried to stand. The mirror immediately responded to her, she performed the same ritual the hooded figure, Aavaros, was performing in front of her. Ethari kept screaming, calling her name, Ezran was crying, but he wasn't trying to pull her out now.

As she was about to drink the potion Aaravos made her concoct, a final plead was made.

"Think about what you're doing, there must b-"

"There must be what?!" She screamed, "you-you all had plenty of time to help him! Save him! This is all your fault!"

She turned back to face Aaravos, the drink in her hands….until she noticed his eyes gazed towards the side, where Callum's body rested now on her, their, bed. She'd moved him for this. She needed to see him one last time.

Turning on her heels, she stepped closer to his resting place, sat besides him and slowly traced his features with her ever so slowly violet turning hands. She lowered her head to rest her forehead against his.

_"Rayla, please reconsider, what does any of this achieve?"_

She could've sworn Callum would've said that, she could almost hear his voice, feel his hands and smell his horrible scent. She missed him dearly. Ethari knew what was missing a partner, feeling so utterly destroyed that nothing made sense anymore, Callum was her knight, the dove that gave her peace, love and trust for other species and that peace, love and trust wasn't dying with him.

"I don't want to do this…" She whispered softly to him, "but I'll do it if it guarantees that you will hear me…" Her hands shook, breath trembling, she continued.

"One day you'll thank me… I'll save you some you can return to your family." With one final kiss she got up, walked over to the mirror, lifted the cup and drank it in one go. She was suddenly in Aaravo's place. In front of her was what she presumed was once the powerful arch elf mage that made the world tremble under his gaze, the strong, intimidating star skinned elf, was reduced to a mere Startouched elf.

His skin wasn't even purple anymore, it was a mixture of gold and a somewhat teal color. He seemed shocked, placing his hand over the glass of the mirror, hers mimicking him, pure, stone cold glass on each end.

Looking outside she noticed how… How different the world seemed from inside the mirror. Even if she could see, she couldn't hear, but she knew something was happening when the three she had left tied up turned to their side, Aaravos also turned.

She wanted to see. She wanted to know…

A few minutes passed and a shaky, weak looking Callum stood in Aavaros previous place. Rayla smiled at him, he was alive, he'd kept his end of the deal, now Callum would finally see what he'd created, but that wasn't the reaction she got.

Callum gasped and looked at her, tears filling his eyes. He started pounding on the glass, with whatever force he could muster, his steady hits did nothing to the thick molten sand.

"Stop that young Prince" the golden skinned elf said.

"What?! Get her out! Please!" He looked up and then back at her.

"I promised to bring you back in exchange for her taking my place… I lost my powers during the exchange. Trading places with her was the last trick I was able to pull."

She saw the moment his eyes went blank, his mouth fell slightly and his fists tightened. Callum looked at her and started pounding the glass ten times stronger than before.

"Rayla… What have you done?" She could hear his voice…

"I had to Callum. It was just so unfair."

"Unfair?! Rayla, I died, I knew you would grieve… But I had hope you would mourn and move on, you've done it all your life…" his arms stopped, slowly dropping alongside the mirror.

"You're different Callum… You never made me change, never made me fake a smile, you got me a family," she looked behind him, "now you can look after them for me, just like you looked after me."

"Rayla you don't understand… Life isn't going to be life knowing I'm alive because of your suffering…" He sobbed, seeing him like this made her want to cry, yet she stayed firm, this washer payment, her choice.

"Callum please… You lost so much because of me! I'll stay here and let you live your life!" She tried to reason. He shook his head. Cleaning his eyes.

"I'm getting you out… You're not staying in there…"

With that he left the room. (Not before freeing the three behind them.) They all stared at her, Ezran was still crying while Runaan and Ethari held a broken expression that caused Rayla to shut the lights of her mirror off. He was alive.

She didnt matter as long as Callum breathed.

She had been ready, ready as she ever was…

So why…

Why did this hurt so much?

**Author's Note:**

> I would write very SAD things for my other fandoms. This is me getting back into my comfort zone.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
